San Antonio Spurs Need To Control The Pace In Game 2
If the San Antonio Spurs are going to defeat the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Semifinals, they must be able to control the pace in Game 2.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals series between the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs didn’t go as expected. Whether you support the Rockets, Spurs, or another team entirely, no one expected to see a 27-point blowout.
As both sides prepare for Game 2 of what was once expected to be the most competitive series of the second round, one question beckons: what can the Spurs do to bounce back?
In a perfect world—for Spurs fans—head coach Gregg Popovich was playing possum during Game 1. He watched carefully as head coach Mike D’Antoni pulled out all of his signature moves and potentially overplayed his hand.
Until that proves to be true, however, the Spurs are in an 0-1 hole with a blowout behind them and home court advantage lost.
If the Spurs are going to win Game 2 and even the series at 1-1, the key is going to be controlling the pace. Houston attempted 87 field goals and 50 3-point field goals in Game 1, and recorded 27 fast break points—14.4 more than San Antonio allowed per game during the regular season.
The question is: how can the San Antonio Spurs possibly slow the red-hot Houston Rockets down in Game 2?
Defending The 3-Point Line
The San Antonio Spurs will have the potential for great team defense for as long as Gregg Popovich is head coach. The Bill Belichick of the NBA, Popovich can plug even the most unheralded of players in and turn them into acceptable team defenders.
If Game 1 proved anything, however, it’s that the Spurs lack the athleticism to consistently recover and run the Rockets off of the 3-point line.
San Antonio won the regular season series against the Rockets by a count of 3-1, with three of the four games being decided by exactly two points. With the exception of the fourth and final game, which San Antonio won 112-110, Houston never scored more than 101 points.
During those three games, San Antonio executed in two crucial manners on defense: it ran Houston off the 3-point line and avoided foul trouble.
During Game 1, the Rockets buried 22 3-point field goals and attempted 27 free throws. San Antonio making just nine 3-point field goals doesn’t help, but any team that allows 22 to be made—or 50 to be attempted—is going to find itself in trouble.
If the Spurs are going to defeat the Rockets, then the players most rotate within the scheme and ensure that Houston’s cast of shooters are given no breathing room.
The best way to do that would be to do what Gregg Popovich seemingly had his players do against Shaquille O’Neal: don’t cheat on defense and trust that one player can’t beat you.
Methodical Motion Offense
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Kawhi Leonard’s development has been the patience he displays on the offensive end of the floor. He put up a steady 25.5 points per game during the regular season by picking his spots and anticipating defensive sets.
If the San Antonio Spurs are going to slow the Houston Rockets down in Game 2, then Leonard is going to need to play in that same methodical manner.
Leonard was one of the few Spurs who showed up in Game 1, but it bordered on being a 1-on-5 situation. Leonard is at his best when he can take the ball at the top of the key, read a defense, and then dump the ball off to a teammate.
He then does an exceptional job of working without the ball, getting to the spot he needs to reach, and thus positioning himself to either spot up, drive, or make the extra pass.
It’s an almost poetic form of offense that relies on all five players sharing a common goal, as well as all five players executing in a quick and decisive manner. As the Rockets poured in points in Game 1, one phrase came to mind about the Spurs: gun shy.
Leonard did his best to score and facilitate, but against a team with as many weapons as the Rockets have, he’ll need his teammates to step up and help fuel the motion offense.
LaMarcus Aldridge & Pau Gasol
No matter what Kawhi Leonard does in Game 2, the San Antonio Spurs are going to need their star big men to show up. LaMarcus Aldridge is still in the prime of his career, and while Pau Gasol may not be, both will need to step up against the Houston Rockets.
After combining for 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field in Game 1, Alrdridge and Gasol are going to need to step up in a big way in Game 2.
Aldridge has been underwhelming during the 2017 playoffs, but he’s still the player who has three 40-point playoff games. He can get hot without a moment’s notice, and his ability to work the post and dominate from midrange is exactly how San Antonio can slow the game down.
If Aldridge comes out and plays with confidence, the Spurs can turn to him in their attempts to slow the game down and force Houston to expend more energy on defense.
As for Gasol, getting the ball into him down low could be the way San Antonio wins this series. He may not be the All-Star that he used to be, but Gasol is a two-time NBA champion who knows how to take over a playoff game with his interior scoring ability.
The more quality touches Gasol gets down low, the more often the Rockets will have to collapse on the smooth-scoring and passing big man.
Must Read: Who is on the San Antonio Spurs' Mount Rushmore?
If the San Antonio Spurs are going to defeat the modern and explosive Houston Rockets, the old school big men are going to need to be at their best.